The Alumni Association of Jadavpur University-Bangalore Chapter (AAJUB) organized its annual re-union on February 16 at the Hotel Royal Orchid. This year the theme was ‘Think big’. A gathering of more than 200 professionals from Bangalore’s academicia and industry, prominent industry leaders and personalities spent the evening listening with rapt attention to the chief guest Subir Raha, former chairman of ONGC and present vice-chairman of the Hinduja Group – himself a JU alumnus.

Raha spoke about the importance of not just thinking big, but also striking big and being different while doing so. The keynote address was delivered by entrepreneur-investor and founder of Café Coffee Day V G Siddhartha, who spoke about his personal experience of thinking and striking big through hard work, dedication and commitment.

A high-profile panel comprising Dr Inder Thukral (Director-Strategy, IBM), Lakshmi Venkatachalam (Principal Secretary-Planning, Govt.of Karnataka - alumna of JU), Shukla Bose (former MD of RCI and founder of Parikrma - alumna of JU), Mahesh Mehendale (Fellow of Texas Instruments), Dr Srinivas Kandula (Head-HR at iGate) debated on ‘Strike BIG – What’s most important – Idea, Passion, Timing, Experience or Something Beyond?’ Dr Mahesh Mehendale spoke about passion as to how it not only drives people to think big but to do big too. Srinivas Kandula spoke about experience and how it could play a positive as well as a negative role.

Lakshmi Venkatachalam stressed on education being a factor in ‘something beyond’ and how the Government was focusing on it. Shukla Bose spoke about experience too but stressed the balance between experience and intuition. Dr Inder Thukral focused on ‘ambidexterity and multi tasking’ - the ability to remain focused on long-range goals while being engaged in short-term tasks. A beautifully designed souvenir publication was also released on the occasion, featuring contributions from JU alumni in Bangalore.

After all the brainstorming, the stage was thrown open for dancing by DJ Prem…and the alumni across all ages and years spent the next couple of hours thoroughly enjoying the dance floor and the dinner and cocktails.